Data Management Plans

This section of the strategy identifies roles and procedures that will be used in the science center for data management, organized using the elements of the data lifecycle. For each element, a Roles and Responsibilities Matrix summarizes major steps in the procedure and identifies who is involved in each step. The matrix uses the following RACI model (http://racichart.org/) to designate responsibilities:

• R stands for Responsible - the person who will actually do the work, one individual per step.
• A stands for Accountable – the person who approves the work and ensures that it is completed, zero or one per step.
• C stands for Consulted – people who provide advice, assistance, or agreement before the step is completed; zero, one, or several per step.
• I stands for Informed – people who must be told after the step is completed; zero, one, or several per step.

The column headings used in the examples below are role titles defined in the Appendix section C. Additional roles or variations in the definitions might be required to fit your science center staffing. To customize this section for your science center, identify the roles that apply to each lifecycle element and adjust the process steps to fit your research and management activities. USGS Operational Database standard operating procedures can be applied in addition to this section. Your science center staff might appreciate identification of the people or job titles that play each role.

Plan

Goal: To create a data management plan (DMP) that documents data management approaches, needed resources, and data outputs for a project.

Customize the roles and process steps that apply to your science center.

Process Steps	Approving Officials (Job Titles)	Data Management Staff	IT Staff	Center Level Managers	Data Producers	Information Reviewers
Before finalizing a proposal for a new project, create and submit a project DMP for review.
Before project data release or end of fiscal year closeout revise project DMP.
Archive final DMP.

Acquire, Process, and Analyze

Goals: To generate, collect, or evaluate for re-use the data inputs for a project. To convert input data to forms suitable for integration and analysis. To explore and interpret processed data to discover or produce scientific results, interpretations, and conclusions.  Details on the Acquire, Process, and Analyze stages are collected in the project DMP's where these actions occur.

Customize the roles and process steps that apply to your science center.

Process Steps	Approving Officials (Job Titles)	Data Management Staff	IT Staff	Center Level Managers	Data Producers	Information Reviewers
Conduct research activities that generate or collect data.
Process data to a version that is suitable for analysis and interpretation.
Analyze and interpret data.

 

Backup and Secure

Goal: To ensure the integrity and availability of data, plans, documentation, software, products, and applications throughout the project.

Customize the roles and process steps that apply to your science center.

Process Steps	Approving Officials (Job Titles)	Data Management Staff	IT Staff	Center Level Managers	Data Producers	Information Reviewers
Preserve raw data collected by the project.
Establish secure storage of working project data and derivatives.

Describe

Goal: To compile information throughout the project and produce standards-based metadata records and documentation to accompany data collections and product releases.

Customize the roles and process steps that apply to your science center.

Process Steps	Approving Officials (Job Titles)	Data Management Staff	IT Staff	Center Level Managers	Data Producers	Information Reviewers
Track details of data acquisition, processing, analysis, and interpretation.
Use a metadata tool to create standards-based metadata records.

Manage Quality

Goal: To conduct and document data quality control throughout the project.

Customize the roles and process steps that apply to your science center.

Process Steps	Approving Officials (Job Titles)	Data Management Staff	IT Staff	Center Level Managers	Data Producers	Information Reviewers
Examine data for quality and document procedure in metadata.
Conduct project team data reviews.
Review data and metadata during science center level project reviews.

Preserve

Goal: To convert data, metadata, and ancillary products to sustainable formats and store them in a USGS Trusted Digital Repository. 

Customize the roles and process steps that apply to your science center.

Process Steps	Approving Officials (Job Titles)	Data Management Staff	IT Staff	Center Level Managers	Data Producers	Information Reviewers
Evaluate and identify raw, Intermediate, or final data products of long-term value.
Deposit identified data (raw, intermediate, final) to a repository appropriate for each category.

Publish/Share

Goal: To review, approve, and release data consistent with the USGS Fundamental Science Practices. (Reference Appendix sections F and G for details on requirements for data.)